The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of blueberry hybrid plant botanically known as a Vaccinium sp. hybrid and herein referred to as ‘T-885’, as herein described and illustrated. The blueberry plant contains mostly rabbiteye germplasm.
The new blueberry plant variety ‘T-885’ was selected while growing in a cultivated area in Griffin, Ga. in 2005. The new variety ‘T-885’ ripens around the first week of June in southern Georgia. The fruit of the new variety ‘T-885’ are generally small to medium size. The new variety's fruit ripens progressively and not all at once, creating multiple colored fruit clusters. The new variety ‘T-885’ is highly vigorous with an estimated chilling requirement of about 500 to 550 hours at or below approximately 7° C.
Pedigree and history—The new blueberry plant variety ‘T-885’ was selected in 2005 at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin, Ga. It originated from a cross of ‘Climax’ X US 1056. ‘Climax’ (unpatented) is an older standard rabbiteye cultivar (V. ashei), while US 1056 is an unpatented breeding line with a complex pedigree containing V. ashei, V constablaei, V. corymbosum, and V. darrowii. The selection has been asexually propagated by softwood cuttings in Alapaha and Griffin Ga. The new cultivar has been tested in plantings at Alapaha and Griffin, Ga. since 2006.
The new ‘T-885’ blueberry plant has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by softwood cuttings. Plants from softwood cuttings have been directly planted in the ground.